AHA!South Carolina Honors College | University of South Carolina

contents

Message from the Dean: About the Rankings 1

Maymester Travel 3

Body Worlds 5

Fond Farewells 7

20-year Legacy 11

South Carolina Honors College in the Community 13

2012 Graduates by the Numbers 17

We Hail Thee, Carolina 19

Class Notes 21

Greetings from the South Carolina Honors College!

We have been hard at work putting together a

redesigned AHA! to better show the exciting

things happening in the SCHC.

Speaking of exciting things, the fall is already off

to a busy start! As a part of welcoming about 350

new freshmen, we launched the inaugural First Year

Flotilla, where students participated in a canoeing/

kayaking trip on the Congaree River. Our students

are enrolled in a wide variety of honors courses,

planning wonderful research projects, participating

in internships and serving in the community and are

either currently studying abroad or are preparing

to study abroad. Updates on these activities and

more can be found in your email inbox with The

Honorable Mention, as well as online through

our website and social media pages.

We hope you enjoy this issue of AHA!

The AHA! Editorial Board

AHA!South Carolina Honors College | University of South Carolina

2 1 | AHA! Fall 2012

Message from the Dean

About the Rankings

I promised in the last issue of this magazine to talk about the No. 1 ranking

of our Honors College by “A Review of Fifty Public Honors Programs,” the

first-ever ranking of honors programs, which was published this past spring

just as the spring AHA! went to press. It’s nice to be ranked highly by anyone

(or almost anyone) anytime, but what does this ranking mean? What was it

based upon, and how significant, really, is it?

The rankings are important not only because they’re the only rankings

around (and we did well), but also because they were based on reasonable

standards. There were in fact two separate rankings — one for “Overall

Excellence” and another for “Honors Factors Only.” We were ranked No. 1

in terms of “Honors Factors Only,” which compared honors colleges against

each other. This ranking was based on five considerations: curriculum,

graduation rates, honors residence, study abroad and priority registration.

These are objective measures — easy to count, hard to argue with — except

perhaps for the residence hall scores. There were three living spaces that

were given perfect “10” scores, and our new Honors Residence was one of

them. Someone might want to argue about whether one dorm is better than another,

but if you’ve seen where our freshmen and some upperclassmen live, with many

common study and social spaces, a lovely restaurant and Starbucks café, state-of-the-

art smart classrooms, washers and dryers that text your cell phone when your clothes

are done, and so forth — well, it’s hard to see how the dorm could be much better. I

suppose we could have a beachfront view, but the amazing Strom Thurmond Wellness

and Fitness Center is steps away, and the Riverwalk and baseball stadium are just a bit

further, and the views of the football stadium and campus and city lights are quite nice

indeed.

Our curriculum, which accounted for the bulk of the ranking, is unparalleled. We’re

offering 222 honors courses this fall, with an average class size of 14, and we’ll offer a

similar number of courses this spring. Our students take about a third or more of their

courses as honors courses. This remarkable investment in our program is owed to

visionary leadership by a succession of USC presidents, robustly continued by President

Pastides, and previous deans (Bill Mould, Peter Sederberg, Davis Baird and Tayloe

Harding). We also do very well in terms of prestigious scholarships, graduation rates

and study abroad, but what truly sets our honors college apart is the course of study

we offer.

The “Overall Excellence” ranking was based on these five considerations plus one

more: prestigious scholarships. What’s the difference between the two rankings? As

the review editor explains it, “Honors Factors Only” ranks the honors college itself;

“Overall Excellence” ranks the Honors College in the context of its university. Counting

prestigious scholarships reveals something crucial about the quality of the student

body as a whole. Our student body has seen spectacular advances: I believe there

are only 11 universities that have increased their incoming students’ SAT and ACT test

scores every year for the past decade, and only one university that has increased the

size of the incoming class and the average scores. That school is the University of South

Carolina. Even so, there are still schools that have more students who win prestigious

scholarships, and so we were ranked No. 11 with this additional category. (Did I mention

that we were ranked numero uno in terms of honors colleges?)

So that’s how the rankings worked. As I’ve said many times since this news came out,

we’re delighted, but we’re not resting on any laurels or luxuriating in our success. We

are working every day to make the South Carolina Honors College even better.

Steven Lynn

Dean, South Carolina Honors College

3 | AHA! Fall 2012 4

Maymester Travel

The South Carolina Honors College sponsored two study away courses for Maymester 2012: SCHC 451D King Arthur in Medieval Britain and SCHC 362S Treasures of India: North and South.

Dr. Scott Gwara led the King Arthur in Medieval Britain course.

Before the trip, students had three on-campus seminars outlining

Arthurian history, narrative and material culture. They met in the

library’s Special Collections to examine real medieval manuscripts

and get to know how the legends were disseminated. They tackled

Gildas, Bede, Chretien de Troyes, Robert de Boron and Malory.

They learned about Romans, Celts, Round Table, Holy Grail, Courtly

Love, the joust and the cultural world of Arthurian romance. During

the Maymester trip, the class visited key Arthurian sites in England,

including the cities of Winchester, Caerleon, Tintagel, Glastonbury,

Salisbury, Bath, Postbridge and London.

Dr. Hal French led students in exploring the timeless treasures

of India by studying its historical, cultural and spiritual heritage.

Before departing for India, the class held four pre-sessions to

establish a solid knowledge base. Students learned how the

disparate elements of Indian life evolved from earliest Vedic times

through the modern period and how the diverse elements internally

and externally affected its complex history. They visited sites that

reflect these elements, from geographical phenomena that are

rich with spiritual significance such as the holy Himalayas and the

Ganges, to monuments such as the Taj Mahal, to natural locations

such as the Periyar Wildlife Sanctuary, to spiritual centers like the

Parmarth Niketan Ashram in Rishikesh and the vast temple complex

at Madurai in Southern India. A sampling of modern city life was

also encountered in New Delhi, Mumbai and the southern coastal

city of Cochin.

by Ashley Riser

Honors College students get a close-up view of the Taj Mahal in Agra, India, during their recent Maymester trip. The two-week travel course, Treasures of India: North and South, included visits to historical monuments and religious sites in the cities of Delhi, Rishikesh, Mussoori, Agra, Kochi, Periyar, Madurai and Mumbai.

5 | AHA! Fall 2012 6

Honors College advisor Rebecca Shrader is always looking for opportunities to expand the educational opportunities of her students. When she learned that the BODY WORLDS Vital exhibit, which had been displayed throughout the United States and the world, was coming to the South Carolina State Museum, she was committed to making the exhibit available as a part of her advisees’ Honors College experience.

In March, the South Carolina Honors College sponsored a

free, private viewing of the BODY WORLDS Vital exhibit.

Eighty students from a variety of majors were able to view

the exhibit, which shows the contrast between healthy

bodies and bodies in medical distress, as well as bodies

in motion. Shrader and the other Honors College staff

members were pleased with the turnout.

Senior BARSC and pre-med student Eeshwar Chandrasekar

said, “As a pre-med student, I am fascinated by the

intricacies of the human body and its functioning. I was

amazed by how extensive the displays were. It’s one thing

to read about the body in my physiology textbook, but

to see the different systems in the body firsthand was

simply incredible. I would definitely recommend that

anyone visit.”

Other students, like Denise Burrow (2012), were simply

intrigued by the concept of human bodies as artwork.

“It’s absolutely incredible how they were able to fan out

the body; it’s hard to conceptualize how everything works

until you see it.”

Body Worldsby Doreen Rinehart

Enjoying the exhibit. Photo courtesy of BODY WORLDS Vital

7 | AHA! Fall 2012 8

Fond Farewells

“ I remember attending a minority recruitment event for the university in the ballroom of what was then the Holiday Inn. The event included a featured performance by Jim Burns himself, who gave a preview of his renowned Motown class. He cued the music and, in his commanding style, had hundreds of prospective students and President Sorensen himself singing ‘I Heard It Through the Grapevine.’” — Ryan Holt (2006)

“ By the time I decided to retire from the Honors College and the university in 2002, I had grown to love the college: its mission, the fantastic students and the great staff that made it all happen. My hope was that Dean Sederberg would find a replacement who shared my particular values, and especially my core value: students first. Enter Jim Burns. When I learned that he had been offered and had accepted the position, I was ecstatic. Everything I knew about Jim said he was a perfect fit. Over the years, I had developed a great respect for him and his work, and I knew that he put students first. I realized I would miss going to work in the best office on campus every day, but I could rest easy with Jim’s hire. History proved I was right about Jim. My only regret is that we never worked together on a daily basis. He will confirm that I do try to pester him as much as possible. I think he knows it’s a sign that I’m fond of him too.” — Jim Stiver (SCHC faculty, past associate dean)

“ Early this millennium, the university leadership decided to eliminate the Provisional Year Program, an initiative to which Jim devoted a couple of decades of dedicated service. In a subsequent meeting with the provost, I was asked if I would consider taking Jim on in the Honors College. I replied, ‘Let me think about it,’ one-second pause, ‘OK.’ Of course, I had to drive a hard bargain with Jim. I told him that if he accepted the position as assistant dean, he would still have to teach his honors seminar each semester as part of his duties. Luckily for the college, he reluctantly agreed to continue teaching. I am honored to have Jim as both a colleague and a friend.” — Peter Sederberg, (dean emeritus 1993-2005)

“ Jim Burns acquired a reputation in applied professional sciences as a remarkably gifted English instructor. I approached the irascible dean of APS with the idea that Jim might teach an honors English course. He bristled, but acquiesced. That’s when I found out that Jim Burns was not only a superb teacher, but also an amazing advisor. I likewise discovered that he has a strikingly low tolerance for bs. Jim’s humor and tolerance and fiercely high standards have led many students to achieve beyond their expectations. I was delighted when Jim joined the college, and I am sad to see him leave.” — Bill Mould, (dean emeritus 1974-1994)

“ Jim Burns enrolled me in my first classes at the university. He hired me as an office worker after my freshman year, where I stayed throughout college and paid my way through graduate school debt free. He taught what was easily the most engaging and informative class I ever took, The History of Motown Records and Popular Music. Yet none of these things are as important as some of the interesting advice he shared with me over the years. At Honors Revocation when I didn’t know what to say in front of hundreds of parents and students, he told me ‘Thank your mother, or I will stab you in the neck.’ When I got engaged, he called my new fiancée and told her ‘We can get you out of this. There is still time.’ I regret that future students will miss out on his skill as an educator, his dedication to the university and most of all his humor. And in case you’re wondering, he gave us a very nice waffle iron at the wedding.” — Marlowe Leverette (2010)

“ I remember Prof. Burns’ classes as the most fun of my college career at USC. I took both African-American literature and his Motown class, and in both he mixed serious discussions of history, race and culture with a fun-loving atmosphere that made students feel not only comfortable, but also enthusiastic about class discussions and activities. He maintained academic integrity while treating us like friends. I still smile remembering his classroom catchphrases ... ‘Oh, come on, y’all!!!’ Thank you, Prof. Burns, for helping make my time at USC memorable.” — Hilary Schramm Culbertson (2005)

In December 2012, the South Carolina Honors College will celebrate the retirements of Patsy Tanner and Jim Burns. Tanner joined the SCHC in 1973, when the honors program was only five years old. Burns has been teaching at USC since 1980. He first started teaching honors courses in 1990 and joined the SCHC staff as assistant dean in 2003.

As we prepare to say farewell to Patsy and Jim, we asked students, alumni, faculty and former deans to share fond memories of them.

9 | AHA! Fall 2012 10

“ Patsy was a mainstay in the Honors College office during my years at USC. I recall her giving me a key to the building so that I could use the typewriter (yes, the typewriter!) on the third floor after hours to type my applications for medical school. My freshman year the office was located across the Horseshoe, I believe at Lieber College, then moved to its current location. After graduating I had not been back to USC for quite some time. However, due to the wonders of digital photography and the Internet, I was reviewing a newsletter from the Honors College a year or so ago and immediately recognized Patsy in one of the photos. She looked the same as in the mid ’80s! Patsy, congratulations on your retirement, and thanks for helping so many honors students along the way!” — Jim Jamison (1986)

“ There were many years when I was a faculty member at USC when I thought Patsy Tanner was the Honors College, and I guess going back far enough, when I was first at USC in 1982, it was Patsy and Bill — I think. Patsy was always a great source of knowledge, wisdom and help for me as I worked in the Honors College. She knows everyone, and she was the SCHC budget process for me. Patsy was — is — focused on doing right by the students, and she always helped me find a solution that served the students’ best interests. Patsy taught me about the real spirit of being a Gamecock. I learned more about football from her than anyone else — this is of course saying something about my own ignorance of football as well as Patsy’s knowledge of the game.” — Davis Baird (dean emeritus 2005-2010)

“ One person is the Honors College: Patsy Tanner. Deans come and go, talking of Michelangelo, but Patsy has always been there to run the college and the Honors Program before that. She was there when I was appointed director of the Honors Program in 1974. She was there when I returned as the college’s second dean in 1994. She was there when I left 11 years later. She is the institutional memory of the place. I don’t think we can let her go ... someone get a chain!!!” — Peter Sederberg, (dean emeritus 1994-2005)

“ Patsy Tanner joined the Honors Program when there were just two of us — and I immediately went on a two-week vacation, leaving her to read files and brochures and figure out what we were all about. I returned to a knowledgeable and committed colleague whom I had the tremendous good luck to work with, almost without break, for the rest of my time at USC. Patsy Tanner is the best part of my 17 years with the Honors College. I know no one more professional and compassionate, more competent and more principled. Her commitment to her family, her faith and the Honors College is unsurpassed. Our college explodes with lots of very smart people, but no one as wise as Patsy Tanner. I have missed Patsy since I retired, but not nearly as much as the college will miss her. — Bill Mould (dean emeritus 1974-1994)

“ Patsy has always been incredibly helpful with anything I had questions on about my sponsored research, and was also a great chaperone for the Maymester class I took to Greece. We couldn’t have asked for a better chaperone than Patsy, who was always happy to help someone.” — Mackenzie Sunday (SCHC, Class of 2014)

While we will all certainly miss

Jim and Patsy, we wish them the

best in their retirement. During

their time in the SCHC, both Jim

and Patsy have made a lasting

impact on students, faculty and

staff members and alumni. As

Dean Emeritus Bill Mould put it,

“Patsy and Jim stand for many of

the college’s ideals, but especially

for those often left unspoken:

humor, compassion, decency,

commitment. However many

academic degrees we may have

accumulated, we all have much to

learn from them.”

11 | AHA! Fall 2012 12

This year, the university celebrates

20 years of having students named

Goldwater Scholars, and all of

them — yes, all of them — are from

the South Carolina Honors College.

This past spring, Cole Franks, Daniel

Grier and Gerry Koons were added

to this impressive list of aspiring

scientists and researchers whose

undergraduate work is worthy of

winning a national scholarship.

In fact, 33 undergraduates and two alumni from the Honors

College won national fellowships and scholarships or were named

finalists in 15 prestigious competitions in the 2011-2012 academic

year. To see a complete list of the winners and finalists, please

visit www.sc.edu/ofsp.

Students applying for these awards are assisted by the Office

of Fellowships and Scholar Programs, a relatively new area for

a 200-year-old campus. The office actively recruits and assists

students to apply for the Goldwater Scholarship as well as the

Rhodes Scholarship, Marshall Scholarship, Truman Scholarship,

National Science Foundation Graduate Fellowship, and many

others.

For graduates of the Honors College, these fellowship and

scholarship winners add value to the excellent education received

at the university. And this recognition brings our campus into the

national spotlight: a national nod of approval for the education

provided by your undergraduate institution.

In 1990, Anil Swami may not have known he would be part of

a 20-year legacy. But winning a Goldwater Scholarship 20 years ago, he did just that.

by Jan Smoak

Legacy20-year

2012 Goldwater Scholars (left to right): Daniel Grier, Cole Franks and Gerry Koons

13 | AHA! Fall 2012 14

Trying to put the total impact the South Carolina Honors College faculty, staff and students have on the Columbia community is impossible to do in one piece. In an effort to do this topic justice, we have broken it into a two-part feature. The fall 2012 issue focuses on faculty-led initiatives. The second part, focusing on student-led initiatives, will be available in the spring 2013 issue.

For example, Karen Mallia’s SCHC 372C Communicating for a Cause

students worked with three area nonprofits in the fall 2011 semester:

the National Alliance on Mental Illness — MidCarolina, the South

Carolina HIV/AIDS Council and the Nickelodeon Theatre. After working

throughout the semester on communication plans for each agency, the

students presented agency representatives with copies of the plans to

serve as an implementation manual. The plan was especially moving

for 1987 SCHC alumnus Dr. Jacob P. White, deputy director of the

South Carolina HIV/AIDS Council. White said, “We were all astonished

by the thoroughness and sensitivity given to the issue, organization

and mission. In all sincerity, it was an emotional experience, bringing

some of us to tears that this group of intelligent and articulate young

people could encapsulate the 17 years of SCHAC and present a plan of

which we were in such desperate need.” The plan will be transformative

for White’s organization in several ways. SCHAC is reviewing the

messages and recommendations and is in the process of updating their

website, logo and plans for social media. In large part due to her work

with SCHC 372C, Mallia was awarded the 2012 Outstanding Service-

Learning Award, which honors a faculty member who has integrated

service learning into his or her classes.

by Ashley Riser

Above: Professor Karen Mallia receiving the faculty award for Outstanding Service-Learning for the class she teaches for the SCHC, Communicating for a Cause

Right: Palmetto Place’s older girls walk with a three-year-old after a trip to a farm. Photo courtesy Palmetto Place

In 2011-2012,6 SCHC courses

helped 25 agencies!

21 hours87 students

x> 1,800 service

hours

15 | AHA! Fall 2012 16

In addition to teaching service-learning

courses, faculty members are leading

the way in service by directing service-

based senior theses or serving as

second readers. Examples of recent

service-based theses include Cullen

Clair’s Soles4Souls collection drive

and Kizer Crum’s Super Healthy Kids

program. Clair’s thesis project, directed

by Pat Hanley, management instructor

from the Moore School of Business,

and with Susan Alexander, director of

service learning and undergraduate

research for the SCHC, as his second

reader, made an impact on the Columbia

community and beyond by collecting

gently used shoes that will be distributed

to those in need throughout the United

States and the world. Directed by

Mindi Spencer, assistant professor in

the department of Health Promotion,

Education and Behavior, and Teresa

Moore, clinical associate professor for

the Department of Exercise Science, as

the second reader, Crum’s Super Healthy

Kids program is a health promotions

program designed to increase healthy

behaviors among children. Through

an afterschool program, she taught

children about healthier options and had

them participate in physical activities

to broaden their exposure to healthier

lifestyle options.

While the past impact on the Columbia

community has been significant, new

initiatives are underway. Former

AmeriCorps VISTA member Stephanie

Gross visited community partner sites to

discuss agency needs and expectations

of student volunteers. What resulted was

a binder that has become a wonderful

tool in assisting in the service placement

process, helping the right student find

the right agency.

The Honors College staff has “adopted”

the Palmetto Place Children’s Shelter, a

shelter for children who are victims of

abuse and neglect. Director Erin Galloway

is an SCHC alumna, class of 1996, and

is enthusiastic about the partnership.

Says Galloway, “It is such a privilege

to connect the South Carolina Honors

College and Palmetto Place Children’s

Shelter. We are excited about the

possibilities for this partnership and

what it means for our kids, who come

from homes of poverty, neglect and

abuse. When faculty and staff come

together as a team for a cause, everyone

wins.” In August, SCHC staff members

donated children’s clothes, school

supplies and gift cards. Our current

AmeriCorp VISTA member, Sandra

Greene, and staff assistant Alison

Salisbury went to Palmetto Place to

sort school supplies and stuff backpacks

for the first day of school. SCHC staff

members will continue to support various

projects with Palmetto Place throughout

the year.

The benefit of service members to the Columbia community (and beyond) is felt not only by the community

but also by the faculty who help initiate the service opportunities. Says Mallia, “some have questioned my

sanity in developing a course where students of any discipline learn communication principles and best

practices and develop a strategy and campaign — in one semester. Students with a passion for learning and

dedication to service have proven them wrong every time I’ve taught the class. Honors College students are

a very special group on so many levels.” The college is honored to work with such dedicated faculty members

who believe in our students and to be home to students who believe they can make a difference and who act

on that belief.

Below: Super Healthy Kids Program participants show off strong and healthy bodies. Photo courtesy of Kizer Crum

“ When faculty and staff come together as a team for a cause, everyone wins.” — Erin Galloway

17 | AHA! Fall 2012 18

As always, we are very proud of our graduates. We’d like to

share a little bit about what this year’s graduating class is up to

now that they are alumni of the South Carolina Honors College.

Compiled by Doreen Rinehart and Laura Smentek (SCHC, 2012) 12% were planning to continue looking for a job after graduation. In today’s market, that is a significant figure!

2012 Graduates by the Numbers

of the Class of 2012 are continuing their education this fall. They are enrolled in graduate master’s and Ph.D. programs near and far, including those at Duke, the University of Virginia, Yale, Carnegie Mellon, Wisconsin, UC-Irvine and Northwestern. They are attending medical school at MUSC, Johns Hopkins and UNC Chapel Hill. SCHC pre-law graduates were bound for Wake Forest, Emory and Georgetown.

49% of our students already had jobs lined up. These graduates are now working at places like Bank of America, Oppenheimer Funds, ESPN, Deloitte, the Limited Brands, Intel, Liberty Mutual and BMW.

27% 88%

of the Class of 2012 had postgraduate placement in jobs, graduate programs, internships or national fellowships at their time of graduation!

19 | AHA! Fall 2012 20

We Hail Thee, Carolina

Investing in the promise of this great university and securing Carolina’s future success form the core goals of Carolina’s Promise, the University of South Carolina’s historic — and ambitious — $1 billion capital campaign. Carolina’s Promise means that we must invest well in the success of our students, for they truly represent the best promise of tomorrow.

South Carolina Honors College main campaign goals through the students’ eyes

Here at the South Carolina Honors College, our promise to our

students is to offer increased financial support for learning

opportunities inside and outside the classroom, thereby

preparing them for their futures through individually tailored

educational experiences. Our promise to alumni, parents and

communities far and near is that we will educate our students

today in traditional and unique ways to prepare them to be the

leaders of tomorrow. 

The South Carolina Honors College seeks to raise $18 million

during the Carolina’s Promise campaign. The lion’s share of our

goal is for direct student support in the form of scholarships,

research fellowships, study abroad grants, internship stipends

and service-learning support.

Endowed Scholarships: $13,650,000 goal

“It’s a great honor for me to be the first student to receive a Belser Scholarship. It was

vitally important for me because without my scholarships I would have needed student

loans. Now I can undertake graduate study or begin my career without loans hanging

over my head.” — Maria Piroli, biomedical engineering

Endowed Research Grants: $600,000 goal

“I’ll be attending George Washington University School of Medicine in the fall of 2012,

and the research I did through the Honors College was a big factor in my acceptance.

Being able to conduct undergraduate research is an enormous plus for students at

SCHC — I was told my research really set my application apart from the others.”

— Lauren Miyares, Class of 2012

Study Abroad Scholarships: $1 million goal

“My internship at the World Health Organization in Switzerland fundamentally changed

my perspectives of medicine and health policy because now I relate everything I

do in the Honors College to what I’ll do after medical school — all because of the

opportunity I received to study abroad and what I learned there.”

— Rahoul Ahuja, pre-med, B.Ar.Sc. major

Internship Program Support: $750,000 goal

“The knowledge I gained as an intern for First Citizens Bank was a life-changer for me

because I gained a wealth of technical expertise outside the classroom as a financial

analyst. Those two summers were an experience that will continue to impact my career

for years to come.” — Jackie Parnell, finance

Service-Learning Support: $250,000 goal

“In the Law and Ethics of Outdoor Conservation (course) we learned why the

environment should be taken care of and respected by learning to want to respect it

ourselves. My group paired with Sustainable Midlands and the South Carolina Litter

Enforcement Association and did a few river cleanups. After the cleanups, we did

research on how to educate the youth on litter and what it does to ecosystems and the

environment. This class set a new standard for what a college course should be.”

— Rachel Price, environmental science

These goals reflect our belief that learning occurs in more places than just inside the classroom. We strive to expand the boundaries of learning beyond the classroom walls to encompass an array of educational opportunities for each student based on his or her own interests, abilities and career goals.

It is your belief in the promise of Carolina that will make this campaign successful. Become a champion for Carolina. Invest in the promise of this great university, and challenge others to do the same. Together, we will secure Carolina’s future.

If you would like to support the campaign and help advance the Honors College student experience, please contact Chappell Wilson at 803-777-7511 or cswilson@sc.edu.

21 | AHA! Fall 2012 22

1970’sDarline Waring (1976) is a National Board Certified Teacher in Early Adolescent Mathematics, 2009-2019. She retired from teaching in 2010 and plans to teach for Trident Technical College in developmental studies.

Sarah Springer (1977) is practicing law in Katy, Texas, trying to grow her law firm so that she can do more traveling. She has recently completed trips to Long Beach, Calif., Washington, D.C., Bar Harbor, Maine, and Boston, Mass.

Gail Ingram (1978) published an article in the July 2012 issue of the Organization of American Historians’ Magazine of History. The article is titled “Doing National History Day with Your Students.”

Daniel Davis (1979) retired from the federal government in 2004 and has been working with USC’s Postal Service since 2007.

1980’sTeresa Mizzell Hatchell (1980) serves as the executive director of the Tri-County Regional Chamber of Commerce, representing eastern Orangeburg, upper Dorchester and western Berkeley counties.

Ron Brackett (1985) is now the assistant managing editor/editing and design for the renamed Tampa Bay Times. Ron has been with the Times, formerly the St. Petersburg Times, since 1985. He is married to Jan, and they have two children, Ben, 19, and Molly, 16.

Robert Scearce (1987) is currently enrolled in the Accelerated Master’s Program, Systems Engineering, at the University of Virginia.

1990’sKirk Baston, M.D., (1990) assistant professor in the Department of Medical Education, Texas Tech University Health Sciences Center Paul L. Foster School of Medicine, was selected by the school’s first- and second-year medical students as “Outstanding Teacher of the Year.”

Debbie Deutschmann (1992) is an attorney with Honda of America Mfg. Inc. and was named president of the South Carolina Chapter of the Association Corporate Counsel.

Shane Swanson (1992) joined Eladian Partners LLC as general counsel at the end of 2010. With offices in Mt. Pleasant, S.C., New York City and London, Eladian Partners is developing sophisticated trading systems across geographies and multiple asset classes. Shane is responsible for all legal and regulatory matters for the Eladian group of entities.

Stanfield Gray (1993) recently launched the DIG SOUTH interactive conference and expo. Opening April 12-14, 2013, in Charleston, S.C., DIG SOUTH will celebrate the Southeastern knowledge economy. For more information, visit www.digsouth.com.

Ian Merrill (1993) is an investment banker at Barclays in New York. He previously practiced corporate law at Sidley Austin LLP, also in New York. He and his wife, Carolyn, have two children and live in Manhattan.

Stacy Elizabeth Thompson (1994) received the Katharine Heath Manning Perry award in May 2012 from the Junior League of Columbia, which recognizes a member who has excelled in community volunteerism and activism through her JLC placement and through extensions of her JLC work and training. Stacy served this past JLC year as vice president for community and currently serves as president of the Board of Directors of the Disability Action Center and as

Fourth/D.C. Circuit representative on the board of the National Organization of Social Security Claimants’ Representatives.

Laura Hall (1996) began a new job at the beginning of the Arab Spring managing more than $8 billion in U.S. foreign assistance to the region. Over the past year and a half, she has helped our transition to civilian lead programs in Iraq and has supported our embassies in countries undergoing historic transitions to democratic rule. Her team has mobilized more than $1 billion in economic, elections, civil society, humanitarian and rule of law assistance that will help citizens change their governments to be responsive to their demands for dignity, freedom and inclusive economic

opportunity. She considers it a privilege to support her colleagues in the field as they navigate these challenging times and to provide the resources to realize the secretary and president’s vision for a new approach to assistance in this changing region.

Teresa Wilson (1996) is serving the City of Columbia as the assistant city manager. She is responsible for the Office of Economic Development, the Community Development Department, the Office of Business Opportunities, all development corporations, governmental affairs and community relations, grants administration and the Office of the Mayor.

Clay and Brooke Woody (1999) celebrated the birth of their eighth child, Ford Freeman Woody, on July 25.

Mandy and Dan D’Alberto (1997) welcomed their third child, daughter Emerson Kaye (Emmy), this July.

2000’sEmily Flemming (2001) returned to the United States in 2011 to begin a Master of Divinity program at the Iliff School of Theology in Denver, Colo., after a successful 10-year career as an executive recruiter in Germany. She will be married to Regis Schoedel in Peaceful Valley, Colo., on Aug. 11, 2012, and hopes to be ordained as a United Methodist Elder (pastor).

Class Notes

Catherine McLoud (1971) is serving as the chairman of the Board of Trustees for the Cystic Fibrosis Foundation.

Sarah Hammond (2002) has written a musical that was accepted to the O’Neill Center National Music Theatre Conference. Only four shows were accepted for summer 2012. For more information, please visit  www.theoneill.org. 

Allison Skipper (2004) has been promoted to manager, public relations, at the South Carolina Ports Authority in Charleston, S.C., where she is responsible for all external communications, media and community relations for the agency. She joined the Ports Authority in 2004. Allison has earned the Accreditation in Public Relations designation and a professional certificate from the College of Charleston’s intermodal transportation and global logistics program. She resides in Mt. Pleasant, S.C.

23 | AHA! Fall 2012 24

Rachel Moyle Beanland (2003) has opened Kismet Communications alongside her sister, Eve Moyle. Please visit www.kismetcomunications.com for more information.

Carolyn (Perozzi) Burns (2003) and William “Bill” Carl Burns III (2003) welcomed William Robert Burns (“Liam”) on March 6, 2012.

Katherine Umstetter (2003) is expecting her second child in December 2012.

Andrew Frassetto (2004) spent five years in Arizona, two years in Denmark, and now works for a science NGO in Washington, D.C., helping to operate university-centered earthquake research infrastructure. Despite

his travels, Andrew manages to squeeze in a walk on the Horseshoe every few years.

Christina Scheer (2004) and her husband, Isaac D. Scheer (2003), welcomed their second child, Dorian Conrad, into the world on June 12, 2012. Mom, Dad and big brother Lucas are in love!

Bobbie Wofford-Kanwat (2004) has been appointed a full-time magistrate judge for Richland County.

Hilary Schramm Culbertson (2005) is serving as the communications and marketing coordinator at the National Center for Safe Routes to School. She manages all aspects of communications for the program, which

supports children all around the country safely walking and biking to school, as well as the annual Walk to School Day and Bike to School Day events. For more information, please visit www.saferoutesinfo.org.

Priscilla Larkin (2005) married Trevor Christopher Harris (from Cambridge, England, and a graduate of the University of Aberdeen) at First Presbyterian Church in Columbia, S.C., on Feb. 18, 2012. They now reside in Colombes, France, on the west side of Paris, where Trevor works as the pastor of a French-speaking evangelical protestant church (Eglise Protestante Evangelique de La Garenne Colombes: www.epe-garenne.org/accueil.html).

Kelly Riffenburg (2005) gave birth to a baby boy, Nathan Steven Riffenburg, on Jan. 25, 2012. She and her husband, Eric, currently reside in Columbia.

Jason Wheeler (2006) graduated with an M.D. and M.S.C.R. (Master of Science in Clinical Research) in 2011 from the Medical University of South Carolina. He is now pursuing a Ph.D. at MUSC in the molecular cellular biology and pathobiology program, with an emphasis in cardiovascular pathophysiology.

Josh Kammerer (2007) recently graduated from the Yale Divinity School with a Master of Divinity and will be completing a nine-month chaplaincy residency at Bridgeport Hospital’s Pastoral Care Department in Bridgeport, Conn. Bridgeport Hospital is part of the Yale-New Haven Hospital system. Josh is also seeking ordination as an Anglican deacon and eventually as an Anglican priest in the Anglican Church of Rwanda. He has become somewhat of an evangelist of the Carolina Shag in the northern regions of the United States.

Hannah Markwardt (2007) earned her M.A. in Social Science Education from the University of Central Florida in 2010. While there, she was selected as Florida’s 2008 James Madison Memorial Fellowship recipient,

which provides full fellowships for graduate school for teachers of the U.S. Constitution. Hannah is now teaching in Palm Bay Florida and attended the 2012 George Washington Teachers’ Institute at Mt. Vernon. She recently gave a presentation titled “Starting an UpStanders (Anti-Bullying) Club” at the 17th Annual Teacher Institute for Holocaust Studies.

Sasha Magee (2008) graduated from Washington University in St. Louis with a J.D./M.B.A. in May 2012.

G. Lee Cole Jr. (2009) is a partner of Cox & Cole, Attorneys at Law in Williamston, S.C. He plans to graduate from Anderson University in December with a Master of Ministry degree and is seeking ordination in the United Methodist Church.

Heather Judd (2009) graduated in May 2012 from the University of Florida Levin College of Law with a Juris Doctor and a Certificate in Environmental and

Land Use Law. She plans to practice in the Miami/Ft. Lauderdale area.

Megan JoAnn Roseen (2009) and Gregory Daniel Lawrence

were married on July 7, 2012, in Wake Forest, N.C. The two will remain in Wake Forest as Greg attends seminary at Southeastern Baptist Theological Seminary, and Megan works as an assistant editor and administrative assistant in the area.

2010’sDavid Ensor (2010) completed a year’s study in the International Chinese Language Program at the National Taiwan University in Taipei as a Boren Scholar. Currently, he is traveling throughout Asia to extend his experiences in that region. When he returns to the United States in the fall, he will have lived and/or traveled in Malaysia,

Thailand, Laos, China, Taiwan and India and will have completed a PADI Divemaster program.

Isabel Arias Williams (2011) married Taylor Williams (Moore School 2011) on Aug. 13, 2011, and they recently bought a home in Columbia. Isabel works for a Columbia-based business process outsourcing partner to the health care industry, AMCOL Systems.

Chloé Greene (2012) has taken on a new position as a researcher and administrative assistant with the African-American Studies Program at the Columbia campus of USC. She also works in the evenings as an after-school teacher

for the EdVenture Children’s Museum.

Daniel Wohleber (2012) has accepted a position with Liberty Mutual and is working as a financial development program associate on a two-year rotation in the Boston office. At the end of the rotation, he will have served in three different divisions within the company.

Bryan Payne (2008) and Kacie DuPuis (2008) were married in Charleston, S.C., on June 2, 2012. The couple currently resides in New York City. (photo by Juliet Elizabeth Photography)

Ryan Holt (2007) was named to the Board of Directors for the Lexington Medical Center this spring. A Lexington County native, Ryan is an attorney with Sweeny, Wingate & Barrow P.A. in Columbia. He is a deacon at First Baptist Church of Columbia and a member of the Lexington Rotary and has served on the University of South Carolina Alumni Association’s Richland-Lexington Board and the College of Arts and Sciences Alumni Council.

Reggie Bain (2012) is attending Duke University this fall to begin pursuing a Ph.D. in high-energy physics. He will remain in close contact with the new leadership of Carolina Science Outreach, a group that he started together with several other honors students while at Carolina, during the coming year.

Alexa Erbach (2008) is currently in a New York production titled “Jack’s Back” and has received positive reviews for her performance. She is also slated to work in a production of August Strindberg’s “Playing with Fire” later this year.

South Carolina Honors CollegeUniversity of South CarolinaColumbia, SC 29208

ADDRESS SERVICE REQUESTED

The University of South Carolina is an equal opportunity institution.12199 UCS 10/12

As a Gamecock, my impact has No Limits.Gerry Koons, South Carolina Honors College

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The pain in their faces is all too familiar to Gerry Koons. She understands the

penetrating stares, the endless questions and the fear of the unknown. As an

undergraduate researcher at the University of South Carolina, she’s studying

craniofacial disorders at the cellular level. Gerry knows that some scars are

more than skin deep, so she’s finding new ways to help people heal.

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